The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-21
THOSE PROJECTILRs.
They Bring Up Reco1eotions Of Days
Of the Confederacy.
From the Maroon t5o1 Telegraph.

From the Macon tjol Telegraph.
Mention was mnde few days ago OF the
finding by Capt. Wilcox, superintendent
of the works of the Macon Gaslight and
Water Company, Of a lot OF solid shot IN
clay bank at the water works.
Meeting Mai C. .. Findlay yesterday he
gave the true explanation as to the man
ner in which they found their wGy into the
clay.
What is now known as the Findlay Iron
Works was during the war the Confederate
States arsenal, and was in charge OF toi.
Richard Cuyler. Numerous prolectlles
were made, both shell and solid shot, as
well rs grape, canister, sllraphels etc. Inc
first testing place was in the clay banks IN
the locality in which tho water works are
now situated. These projectiies were OF an
shapes, and many experiments We're mace
nearly all tho tests being made under Ghe
direction Of Maj. F!ndlay and MAJ y. NJ
Hodgldns
The clay banks iustmeutioned were filled
with shot, the guns being planted on. "hsV
IL now known as Gums place. " is sup
posed that the percolating water, the Soit-
ness of the clay and the weight OF the shot'
many Of them weighing over 90 pounds;
caused them to drop together IN pie, ana
thus the cave was formed.
After this testing place was abandoned a
clay bank in South Macon, on Second street,
was utilized for the purpose
The arsenal, as stated, was in command
of Col. Cuyler. and the laboratory was IN
command of Maj r. c. Downie, with tue
late Capt. James Palethorpe As assistant.
| The building used for the laboratory was
that now occupied by Lowery q Co. on
Poplar street, near the synagogue. The
building was erected aud used for slave
mart, and thousands Of negroes have been
sold within its walls III the hitter days OF
the war the capacity Of the laboratory was
increased by the erection of large building
iii the shape of an i. on the corner on when
the synagogue now stands. In this some five
hundred girls and boys made cartridges,
friction primers, Roman candles and rock
cts for signals, fuses, etc, and also TO MI
the shells made at the arsenal.
Macon, by reason Of its position, was fast
becoming the distributing depot for ammu-
milton and supplies When the war ended
the armory in Southwest Macon. and the
laboratory, near Nineville, two handsome
and costly structures, were nearing compile
ton. Every vestige of the armory proper
has been destroyed, and the people walk
every day upon pavements laid with the
stone, of which there was an immense
quantity, that composed part of the build
ing and its foundation. The building now
used for I,angs knitting factory was an
annex of the laboratory.
The magazine. which was kept full of
powder, was the depot of the old Macon ard
Western railroad, and pretty st. Pauls
Church stands on the spot formerly occu-
pied by it
At point three or four miles from the
city, on the Central railroad, the fuses made
at the laboratory we're tested. A target
made Of heavy logs of wood against an en-
bankment. was made, and the projectiles
fired at it. The fuses were made. so exact
that they were calculated by seconds and
half seconds. Sometimes when the largest
shells were sent against this mammoth
target, the work of destruction was terrific.
The shells were SO timed that they would
explode Just as the target was touched.
The laboratory also served rs a training
school. There We're hundreds of boys, the
fathers of nearly all of them being in Il o
army, who We're patriotic enough 10 want
to do something for their country, and berg
too young to be received in the army, worl
ed there, and as soon as they arrived O.. the
proper age, would leave to jo',. 'the forces in
the field.
When Stonemap way captured around
Macon by GH,.%.verson, there were cOlnpa-
- 'ee i4s up of the employees of the arsenal
ana laboratory, who assisted i'll the cap
ture. and on other occasions when the city
was about to be invaded by the enemy, the
Ordnance battalion, as it was then known,
though composed for the most part of boys,
did good service.